Why travel with Geckos?

Our adventures are for travelers aged 18-29 who like to have a good time with others their own age, but don’t want to spend their whole trip crammed into a bus with 40 hungover backpackers.

Just because you’re young, doesn’t mean you want to churn through 30 countries in 10 days. You want to meet locals, embrace new cultures and actually learn stuff (who were the Aztecs? Why is that baboon looking at me funny?), while also making friends and hitting up backstreet bars, tasty street stalls and cool secret spots along the way.

And if you're over 29, we've got something for you too! We also offer grassroots adventures for travelers of all ages through our sister brand Intrepid Travel. So if you're over 29 and still after affordable adventures like Geckos, check out the 'Basix' style. Learn More

Traveling with us means...

Experience the world with people your age, not your parents’ age.

Get your meals fresh from a street vendor, not the hotel buffet.

Nothing says cultural immersion like a family homestay.

Drink beer with a local, not at the nearby Irish pub (there’s always one).

Travel by train, rickshaw or camel, not on a huge tourist coach.

See what we're talking about:

Why is small group travel with us better?

Our average group has about ten people, and while we know that some people like traveling in big buses, ticking off big sights and staying in big expensive hotels, it just isn’t for us. We like to keep our groups smaller so we can see and do more. Here’s why we think small group travel is the way to go:

Your new crew

Like the idea of a small crew of people you can actually connect with?

With Geckos, you’ll travel with, on average, just 10 other people aged between 18 to 29 (it’s pretty hard to form genuine connections with a group of 45, right?). Like you, they want the cool stuff, like trying new food and finding local bars, but they also want to get out and about and explore the country they’re visiting. Makes sense.

Local legends

Our leaders are pretty great - they’re born and bred in the regions we visit.

Some companies believe travelling with a Western leader is the way to go. Not us. We think the best way to get to the heart of a destination is with someone local to the area. Our leaders speak the language, they’re full of local connections, and... they’re awesome!

Meet actual locals

After showing you the must-sees, we take things to a whole new level of awesome.

With your local leader and new friends by your side, we’ll introduce you to local life, plus the amazing experiences that come with it, like homestays, community visits, and those super-cool bars and tucked-away restaurants that only locals know about.

Freedom to Run Wild

You’ve saved hard for your adventure – we’ll work hard to make it worth every cent.

We know that you like to do your own thing (and to your own budget), so we build loads of free time and optional activities into our itineraries so you can pick and choose what you want. And if you’re unsure, your local leader has heaps of suggestions!

Taking care of things

We’ll take care of the logistics so that you can enjoy the adventure.

Your leader’s there to get you from A to B on local transport; taking you to the hottest spots in town; putting you up in cool and usually central accommodation (budget doesn’t have to mean bad). Check out some of our cooler accommodation here.

Travel solo together

Travelling solo? You’ve come to the right place.

Travelling alone on a group adventure means a) you get a ready-made crew of future besties, b) a local leader to stop you getting lost and feeling all scared inside and c) the option of picking your own room for a small cost. So you can snore to your heart’s content. Pretty sweet, right? Find out more